1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to light-weight building structures that are designed particularly for environmentally friendly, i.e., green design and construction, without sacrificing from the standpoint of durability and serviceability. The present invention also concerns building framework systems that are designed to incorporate light-weight structural components that are manufactured by molding and/or extrusion operations and scrap or damaged components can be easily recycled, thus enhancing the environmentally friendly characteristic of the building framework system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A predecessor to the building framework construction system of the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,142,343; 4,194,338 and 5,979,119 of Ronald H. Trafton. In each case hollow support posts are provided having external longitudinal grooves which are designed to receive the connector elements of brackets that may be moved to desired positions along the lengths of the grooves and locked into place by clamping action or by other locking means. The support posts may have single, generally cylindrical walls or concentric internal and external spaced primary and secondary post walls as desired. Other prior art patents also show the use of structural posts having various types of connector members which permit simple and efficient assembly of a building framework.